Mail bag hook



Fev A. TAYLOR Sept 8, 1931,

MAIL BAG HOOK Filed y 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In venior flgywz awa /A @201 M R. A. TAYLOR Sept. 8, 1931.

MAIL BAG HOOK Filed May 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In vemfor Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES tense:

RAYMOND A. TAYLOR, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND MAIL BAG HOOK Application filed May 14, 1929. Serial No. 362,939.

This invention relates to a railway mail service appliance and has reference to a contrivance which is sometimes referred to as a mail bag catcher, but more generally known to the trade as a mail bag hook.

It is now a common practice to provide a hook on one side of the car body adjacent the car door opening in such a position as to pick up mail bags enroute in a well known.

manner. As a general rule the bill of the hook points in one direction on one side of the car and in an opposite direction on the opposite side of the car. Under some conditions however, it is desirable to reverse the direction of the hook. \Vith the present construction this necessitates detachment of the mounting means and hooks in order that it can be completely turned over to cause the bill of the hook to point in an opposite direction.

The present invention has reference to a more practicable and feasible construction whereby the hook and its mounting shaft 0 may be longitudinally shifted to disposethe hook at either s1de of the car door openmg, the hook being rotatably mounted so that the bill may be pointed in one direction when on one side of the car door opening, and readily turned to point in the opposite direction when on the opposite side of the car door opening. thus rendering the structure more practicable for accomplishing an efficient result in a more dependable manner.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view showing the hook located at one side of the car door opening.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 22 and showing in dotted lines the manner in which the device maybe longitudinally shifted and the hooks reversed in direction.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sec- 5 tional and elevational view of the hook supporting blocks.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line H of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal section 50 on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the latch members.

In the drawings, in Figure l the reference character Gindicates generally the car door opening, and 7 and 8 the wall structure on opposite sides of the opening. On opposite sides of the door at an appropriate elevation are brackets 9 and 10. Slidably mounted in these. bearing brackets 9 and 10 is a longitudinally shiftable shaft made up of a left hand section 11, andthe right hand section 12. These sections are provided at their outer ends with stop pins 13 and 14 respectively. These sections are joined at their inner ends with a body 15 constituting the mounting for the mail bag hook 16. Incidentally this hook has a contracted portion as at 17 which includes a short arm 18 and a long arm 19 whose bill is flared or directed outwardly at the desired angle. The central portion of the arm 18 of the hook is fastened to a shaft 20 mountedfor rotation at the center of the body 15. For instance, as seen in Figure 3 the body is cored out and a recess is formed. Oneend of the recess is closed by a cover plate 21' having a central bearing collar 22 in which the handle portion 23 of the shaft is mounted for rotation. Located within the recess and carried by the shaft is a segmental stop flange 24. This is constructed for cooperation with a complee mental abutment 25 constituting an integral part of the removable cap plate 26, as seen in Figure 4. This cap plate is provided with a spring pressed latch 27 whose inner end is receivable in a keeper opening 28 in the shaft. The latch has a suitable operating knob 29 as seen in Figure 5.

The reference character 30 designates cushioning collars which cooperate with the opposite brackets 9 and 10.

The sectional shaft is of such length as to permit the hook and its mounting body to be shifted from one side of thedoor opening to the opposite side. Under certain conditions the hook and shaft and complemental details will occupy the positions shown in full lines in Figure 2. Then when it is desired to reverse the hook the shaft is shifted to the dotted line position shown which brings the body against the collar adjacent the wall 8. Then by releasing the latch the hook ma be turned through a substantial half circfe to reverse its position as shown in Figure 2 by dotted lines.

The shaft sections 11 and 12 are provided with openings 12a for reception of retaining pins 31 or 32 as the casemaybe, these pins being suspended from an appropriate chain or flexible element 33 adjacent the bearings 9 and 10. Thus the pin 31 is used when the device is in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2. hen however it is shifted to the dotted line position the pin 31 is necessarily withdrawn and the remaining pin 32 is brought into play.

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of features coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a structure of the class described, a

pair of shaft sections, a body attached to the inner ends of said shaft sections for joining them together, a relatively short shaft mounted in said body and disposed at right angles to said shaft sections, said short shaft being provided with a keeper, a spring pressed latch mounted on said body and engageable with said keeper, and a mail bag hook carried by the outer end of said short shaft.

2. In a structure of the class described, a pair of longitudinally alined shaft sections, a body coupling said sections together, a short shaft mounted for rotation in said body, complemental elements on the body and shaft for limiting the degree of rotation in opposite directions, a handle carried by said short shaft, a mail bag hook carried by said short shaft, and a spring pressed latch on said body cooperable with a keeper formed in said short shaft. I V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' RAYMOND A. TAYLOR. 

